


The Master of the Knights of Ren

by minhui



Series: The Order of Ren [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Bringing Balance to the Force, F/F, F/M, Force Sensitive Knights of Ren, Gray Knights of Ren, Knights of Ren - Freeform, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-13
Updated: 2016-06-02
Packaged: 2018-06-08 02:36:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 15,814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6835546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minhui/pseuds/minhui
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Force in its natural state was neither Dark nor Light. It simply was.<br/>---<br/>Kylo Ren is sent on a mission by Snoke to gather and train six Force sensitives in the outer reaches of the universe as Knights of Ren during the beginning of the construction of Starkiller. However, he soon realizes that Snoke's desires differ from his own.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Master of the Knights of Ren

**Author's Note:**

> ok so ive had a lot of headcanons for a long time and i decided to put that into writing. all the chapters are going to be pretty short but i felt it was better to do several smaller chapters that flow well than one large thing that sucks.  
> hux is not force sensitive here, and he's total shit at hiding his thoughts and emotions from kylo. kylo has a sort of epiphany and shit happens.  
> ALSO THEYRE ALL GONNA BE PRETTY OOC BUT I DONT CARe i jsut want thm to be happy ok. nobody dies also, except for someone who really, really deserves it. id warn major character death but ***** isnt a major character in my heart  
> all of my beautiful formatting is dead but ignore how ugli it looks now

Kylo Ren stalked the halls of the Finalizer, stormtroopers almost leaping out of his way as he went. As co-commander of the ship, he had several duties, most of which included spending time with General Hux. 

The General, Kylo mused, was thankfully shorter than him, absolute shit at shielding his thoughts, and probably one of the most obnoxious people the Knight had ever met. To be fair, Kylo himself was particularly obnoxious and destructive. Seeing the two outside of a private meeting room, you’d think they’d be polar opposites.

The metal, sound-proofed doors slid open, and Kylo Ren crossed the threshold into the conference space, where the General sat looking over a datapad.

“So, you’ve finally decided to grace me with your presence,” the General huffed, setting the datapad down on the metal table. Kylo sat across from him, and shrugged.

“I had other business to attend to.”

Hux snorted indignantly, crossing his arms and kicking up a foot onto the edge of the table, “Right, terrorizing the halls with your juju is decidedly more important than direct orders from the Supreme Leader.”

Some sort of satisfaction for ‘catching’ Kylo unaware hung off Hux like a sick fog. 

“Direct orders, is it? More direct than Snoke communicating with me through the Force?” Kylo retorted, and Hux soured.

“I’ve been given the order to begin construction on an extremely confidential project. I’m sure you haven’t been briefed.” Hux said, attempting to gain the upper hand, again. Kylo sat upright. He hadn’t, and the name wasn’t coming to him from Hux’s mind. Did Snoke not trust him?

“Starkiller base, to be constructed on the planet we’ve been orbiting. Also, to begin immediately.” Hux explained, not pausing to mention what exactly Starkiller was. Kylo got the basic gist, and frowned behind his helmet.

“This conflicts with my orders.” He said, and Hux raised an eyebrow, prompting the Knight to continue, “I’ll be departing soon.”

“Kriff, what is it now, torture some more villagers? Kick some puppies?” Hux sneered, “Orders from Snoke, are they?”

Kylo’s upper lip peeled away from his teeth, and he increased the weight of his presence in the room. Hux removed his boot from the table.

“Not that it’s any of your business, but I will be assembling and training the Knights of Ren.” Kylo hissed, Darkness and displeasure dripping from each syllable. Hux swallowed nervously, and nodded.

“How long will you be gone?” The General asked, and Kylo paused, the Darkness lifting. The General asked, obviously out of necessity for planning, but also some faint emotion. Worry?

“I may be gone for months, possibly a full year.” Kylo said, listening closely to Hux’s thoughts. Frustration at being left alone to head the construction of Starkiller, confusion at the time span, and... nervousness at not having the Knight around. Kylo gently brushed against the General’s mind, to hear complete thoughts.

_ Kriff, he’s really got to leave right now? Of all times?  _ Hux’s mind was a whirlwind of plans, curses, and lamentation. Kylo withdrew, after one particular thought,  _ I’d just gotten used to having the freak around, too _ .

“Very well. I trust you can make the preparations yourself?” The General uncrossed his arms, picking the datapad back up, “I’ll expect weekly updates after your get yourself situated.”

“Of course,” Kylo nodded, and clasped his hands, resting them on the surface of the table.

“I...” he started, and then stopped. Hux looked up at him, through pale lashes, and raised an eyebrow.

“What?”

Kylo sighed, and stood.

“I will contact you before I leave, and when I have a location secured.” He announced, and turned to leave.

“Wait,” Hux stood quickly, chair squeaking on the metal ground. Kylo turned back, and waited.

“In the case I’m occupied...” Hux continued, nervously fidgeting, “Don’t get yourself killed, Ren.”

Kylo Ren stared at the man before him, and then laughed. Hux grimaced, embarrassed.

“Ye of little faith,” Kylo said, and then turned to fully face the General, extending a hand, “Worry not. I will return to you.”

Hux cautiously shook the gloved hand, raising an eyebrow at the Knight’s phrasing. Kylo was suddenly glad for the helmet. His face was crimson, surely. 

Back in his room, the Knight packed. Of his few belongings, he took only his comm, his lightsaber, and the stones he’d kept to meditate with. Since he was only going to be piloting himself, he had no need for securing transport. His larger ship would remain behind, and a ship large enough for himself and six others was waiting in the docking bay. He’d leave as soon as he felt ready.

Kylo sat on the edge of his bed, and thought about his earlier encounter with the General. Things had been different than usual, Hux wasn’t as annoying. And the odd attachment he seemed to have sat strangely with Kylo. The General would miss him. Genuinely. He would certainly miss annoying the General, and being annoyed himself, but Hux...

_ Kylo Ren. _

Kylo shot upright at the voice in his head.

_ Master? _ He inquired, and Snoke chuckled.

_ You are to take the Knights to this location when you have gathered them.  _ Coordinates appeared in Kylo’s head.  _ You will be too far for even my powers to reach, so I trust that you will do me proud, child. _

_ I will, Master. _ Kylo bowed, alone in his room. Snoke left him. Time to leave, he supposed.

“Hux, I am departing.” Kylo said into the comm, and within minutes of leaving his room, he ran into the General.

“You don’t have much,” Hux pointed out, absentmindedly observing. Silence fell between the co-commanders. 

“I will comm you as soon as I have arrived at my destination,” Kylo promised, and Hux closed his eyes, nodding. They stood, opposite each other, and breathed. Kylo brushed against Hux’s mind, and found conflict.

“It’ll be nice to be in charge yourself again, won’t it?” Kylo tried to lighten the mood, for whatever reason. A silent Hux was unusual. Quiet was normal, but there was usually some muttering, or huffing, or anything. 

“It will.” Hux agreed, unconvincingly. Kylo felt something within him twinge. He needed to get out of there.

“Don’t freak out,” Kylo warned, and then gave the General a hug. Hux didn’t freak out, but did stiffen, arms firmly trapped at his sides. The General snorted, face buried in Kylo’s shoulder, and when the Knight released, him, Hux’s hands shot out, grabbing one of Kylo’s. He held the hand in his own, and looked up at the Knight’s helmet.

“Return to me.” He said, deadly serious. Kylo swallowed, and nodded.


	2. An Unfortunate Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kylo collects the first to Knights-to-be. He also runs into an old friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> maro dosk & pele makoa make an appearence! my two favorite children. kylo/ben also thinks abt what couldve been for like a sentence but It Begins. the absence of snoke in the back of kylos mind is basically allowing all of his thoughts to go unguarded so hes thinking risky things now

He spent the majority of the flight to the nearest Force sensitive individual thinking about Hux. A recurring pattern, Kylo noticed. Being a natural-born pilot, he hardly had to focus on navigating, allowing his thoughts to wander. 

Hux was obnoxious, a control freak, stubborn, emotional, and arrogant. Hux also cared about him. Hux wanted him to return safely. Kylo frowned, as another Force signature popped up on his mental radar. Two, so close together. 

He landed on the outer edge of a crowded marketplace. His ship was unremarkable, and untraceable back to the First Order, if worst came to worst. Kylo himself, however, was instantly recognizable. The best disguise for him, as it turned out, was no disguise at all. The only people who’d recognize him were halfway across the universe, as far as he knew. Shedding his black clothes, he donned a white undershirt, tan overshirt, brown pants, a darker tan cloth sash, leather boots, belt, and gloves, and finally, a dark brown cloak. He looked in a mirror. Kylo could barely recognize himself, he was so different. The final part of his disguise, a name, Ben. 

“Ben.” Kylo said the name aloud, watching his lips move in the mirror. In a different universe, he thought, he might’ve been this. If he’d grown up on the Falcon, maybe, or if he wasn’t Force sensitive. 

It was no trouble at all to track down the Force sensitive individual in the crowded marketplace. Memories from his childhood helped him navigate the buyers and sellers, avoiding pickpockets and other ill-willed persons. A dark skinned man, only a few inches shorter than Kylo, bartered with a particularly rigid merchant. Kylo squinted against the sun, and cast out his Force, like a net. The man stopped short, and spun to look at him.

_ I forgot it was today.  _ The man replied to Kylo’s reach as if they knew each other.

_ Pardon?  _ Kylo waved the man over, and watched curiously as the man walked over without question.

_ I’ve had dreams about this for a while. I suppose you aren’t going to kill me?  _ The man explained, and came to a stop before Kylo.

“Maro Dosk, nice to meet you.” The man said, voice deep and rich. Kylo shook his hand.

“Ben.” Kylo replied after a few seconds, and the man, Maro, nodded. Kylo began to walk back to the ship.

“So, Ben,” Maro said conversationally, following close behind, “have you found the others yet? Or am I the first?”

Kylo flinched slightly at the use of his old name, and current alias, and replied, bringing down the door to his ship, “You’re the first. There’s another nearby.”

Maro sat in the co-pilot’s seat next to him, after setting down the bag he’d been carrying in one of the bunks of the ship. 

_ You aren’t actually Ben. You were, once, but not anymore.  _ Maro observed, helping punch in the flight sequence.

_ Correct,  _ Kylo said, _ I am Kylo, Master of the Knights of Ren, and the First Knight. _

_ I understand that I will become a Knight?  _ Maro continued, and Kylo hummed an affirmative.

“Did you happen to see where I should find the others in your visions?” Kylo asked, sitting back after setting the coordinates to the planet he felt the signature from. 

“No. It only ever got to the part where we get on the ship.” Maro replied, and adjusted his leather vest. 

As soon as the ship landed, Kylo frowned. The Force felt uneasy, and as soon as he and Maro got off the ship, he understood why. The small port was flooded with Resistance soldiers. Kylo pulled his hood over his head, and walked with purpose through the crowd, towards the cantina. 

“Ben,” Maro whispered, and Kylo whipped around. 

_ Do not use that name here. They will know who I am.  _ Kylo warned, turning back to enter the cantina. 

_ Alright.  _ Maro followed, and looked around curiously. 

_ Her.  _ Maro suddenly stopped, and gestured with his eyes towards a short woman, her black hair pulled into twintails at the nape of her neck. 

Kylo walked over to her, thankful to note she was not Resistance. She turned to look at him before he even made it to the bar, and smiled. 

“Afternoon,” she greeted. Kylo nodded. 

_ Come with us outside.  _ He said through the Force. The woman shrugged, and slid off of the stool. 

As he walked behind her, he noticed she was definitely more than a full foot shorter than him. While it wasn’t odd for people to be shorter than him, the woman before him was tiny. 

Then, what Kylo had been avoiding happened. An arm shot out, grabbed a handful of his shirt, and yanked him to the side. 

 

The shocked face of Poe Dameron is what met him, after he recovered from almost being thrown to the ground. 

“Ben Solo?” Poe demanded, and Kylo Ren stared at him. Every cell in his body screamed to run, or kill him, or anything at all, but he didn’t have his lightsaber, and there were too many Resistance troops around, and he didn’t want to kill Poe.

_ Kylo?  _ Maro asked, unsure of what to do. Kylo made a helpless sort of grunt. 

“Poe, nice to see you,” Kylo felt frozen. 

“Fuck! Oh my god, we’ve been looking for you ever since what happened at Luke’s. Where were you? Did you get kidnapped?” Poe looked seriously worried. That meant Luke didn’t tell anyone what happened. 

“Uh...” Kylo said, dumbly. He didn’t prepare for this eventuality. Poe pulled out a comm. 

“Wait!” Kylo frantically knocked the comm out of Poe’s hand, and awkwardly cleared his throat, “Uh, I... we should talk alone.”

_ Maro, take her back to the ship, explain to her what you know. I’ll handle this.  _

_ Yes, sir. _ Maro nodded, and led the short woman off to the ship. Poe watched them leave, and turned back to Kylo. 

“What happened?” Poe repeated, as Kylo dragged him by the wrist towards a less crowded area. 

_ Don’t freak out.  _ Kylo repeated, for the second time that day.  _ I am not who you knew.  _

“What?” Poe narrowed his eyes, and poked Kylo’s cheek, “That mole looks pretty familiar. 

_ Poe. Much has happened since we last met.  _ Kylo looked around.  _ I can’t trust you won’t reveal me to the Resistance. I cannot go back, I will not go back.  _

“Why not? Your mom misses you. Your dad, and Chewie, too.” Poe asked, and Kylo stared. 

_ No they don’t. Luke would’ve told them what happened. You shouldn’t of spoken to me.  _ Kylo insisted, and Poe shook his head. 

“No man, every time a Ben sighting comes in, your mom’s the first to look into it.” 

Kylo sighed, and closed his eyes.  _ I am not Ben.  _

“Well if you aren’t, then who are you, huh?” Poe frowned, and crossed his arms. 

Kylo looked away. 

“I can’t tell you. Forget you ever saw me here. I don’t want to have to hurt you.” Kylo turned to leave. 

“Fine.” Poe said, and Kylo slowed, but kept walking, “You better come home eventually, Ben.”

Kylo said nothing, and returned to his ship. 


	3. Temple on a Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They arrive on a moon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay heres the children: maro dosk, pele makoa, eris ides, rune helta, canicus damon, and tiamat volos.   
> theyre going to be the knights! the whole force used like a threat display is totally gonna reoccur in this btw. i feel like force users fluff up their force instead of fur or whatever to seem bigger/more powerful/stronger. im not going to go into backstories on them all but if youre curious, message me or comment :)

Pele Makoa. That was the woman’s name. She was short and dressed like a smuggler, and could talk like her life depended on it. Maro was instantly taken with her. 

“So, we’re gonna go become space knights?” She said, as soon as Kylo walked into the central area. Kylo shot Maro a confused look, though the man didn't look away from Pele. 

“We have four more people to acquire first.” Kylo said, and sat in the pilot’s seat with a heavy sigh.

Eventually, after a few days, Kylo found the final Force sensitive individual. To his surprise, the five he’d found previously came without a fight, either expecting his arrival, or trusting him. The sixth, a woman with a strongly Light presence, did not want to go.

“Why should I? You’re going to corrupt me.” She argued, refusing to give her name. Kylo ground his teeth.

“You are weak in the Light,” Kylo replied, and the woman gnashed her teeth.

“I am not weak!” She growled, and her Force presence flooded the alleyway Kylo had cornered her in. It was bright, and angry, and like nothing Kylo had ever seen before. His own presence was a muddy Darkness, not crisply inky like Snoke’s, nor blindingly bright like his uncle’s. But this woman’s, her Force was so bright, while being so dark at the same time. Kylo stepped back, before sending his own Force out, like a bird puffing up its feathers.

Kylo’s Force wasn’t as impressive, but it was bigger, and stronger. He pushed the woman’s aura back to within her body, and then released it, his presence dissolving into the night.

“You are different,” Kylo insisted, understanding the potential of the woman in front of him, “you’re both. Light and Dark.”

“Shut up!” The woman snarled, but Kylo persisted.

_ You are at a perfect balance within yourself. You only need to harvest that potential, and you will become one of the most powerful Force users in the galaxy. _

_ How do I know I can trust you?  _ The woman huffed, still wary. 

_ I am... I’ve been trained in both the Light and the Dark side. I can teach you things you’ve never even thought existed. _

_ How do I know you won’t just kill me? _

“Enough.” Kylo said, “I won’t kill you. I need you.”

“For?”

“The Knights of Ren.”

 

Tiamat Volos, the woman, eventually relented, on the agreement that she would not be harmed. Of course, none of the Knights would be, but she seemed very insistent on being kept safe.

Her natural ease of being both Light and Dark made Kylo feel. Odd. He had struggled his whole life with being too Dark to be a proper Jedi, and too Light to be whatever Snoke would have him become. Snoke was wise, and he was important to Snoke. He was his apprentice. 

The other Force sensitives Kylo had found, Eris Ides, Rune Helta, Canicus Damon, were each powerful and ambiguous in their own right. Eris in particular, was a bastion of Force. Even when she wasn’t projecting, the Force spilled off of her like a wellspring. 

Kylo eventually reached the coordinates Snoke had provided, and what he found was a lush wetland moon. Rolling hills of dark green grass, and deeply blue ponds and tributaries covered the landscape, outcroppings of massive black stones littering the surface. A fortress made of the same dark stone stood, short, but wide, on the top of a hill.

The ship landed just outside the wall, and Kylo took a deep breath. Stale, space air filled his lungs. He dropped the door.

Sweet, earthy scents rushed in, much different from the barren planets Kylo had scavenged his Knights from. The fortress, or a temple now, Kylo supposed, would be home.

 

“General, this is Kylo Ren. We’ve landed, and will begin training tomorrow morning. I have arrived safely.” Kylo spoke into the comm, while his students excitedly ran down the ramp and onto the lush grass. All, save for one. Canicus, who stood in the doorway, watching.

“Excellent, Kylo. I expect another update in seven days.” Hux replied, light static overlaying his voice. There was a pause, and Hux continued, “Stay out of trouble, you massive saber brain.”

Canicus blinked at Kylo, as the Knight barked a laugh.

“Saber brain, Hux? It took you five seconds to think of that?” Kylo retorted, ignoring the man standing before him. Hux huffed over the line.

“It’s been pretty quiet on the ship without anybody breaking things on a regular basis. I’ve actually made it through a full day without having to clean up any messes.” Hux replied, and Kylo frowned.

“Ok, goodbye.” He said, and reached out to turn off the comm.

“Wait, Kylo,” Hux said suddenly, and Kylo stopped, “I meant it. Don’t get yourself into trouble.”

“Yes sir,” Kylo replied, and Hux hummed.

“Hux out.” Hux said, and the line went dead.

Kylo stood, and walked past Canicus out the door. The shorter man lightly jogged to keep up.

“That your boyfriend?” He joked, and Kylo grimaced.

“Don’t talk.”


	4. Space Knights, Knights in Space

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Training begins, and some time passes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> using azaleasdolls.com's sci-fi warrior 1&2 dollmakers, i put together how they all look at this point! when they receive their knight names, ill link to how they look in their knight outfits.  
> kylo ren: http://67.media.tumblr.com/d7c778664fcd0afa4f3a711e3e73b24e/tumblr_o76ckyzO111voxrgso1_400.jpg  
> maro dosk: http://66.media.tumblr.com/47d28e2c085fd6cbc962b04b27e3c6c1/tumblr_o76ckyzO111voxrgso4_400.jpg  
> pele makoa: http://67.media.tumblr.com/330c7489fc16c9780152690666565962/tumblr_o76ckyzO111voxrgso5_400.jpg  
> eris ides: http://67.media.tumblr.com/4b6e1c80266ce1aca46787a12975b2eb/tumblr_o76ckyzO111voxrgso3_400.jpg  
> rune helta: http://67.media.tumblr.com/e83163ed8bcda05dd017c7bbf8516524/tumblr_o76ckyzO111voxrgso6_400.jpg  
> canicus damon: http://67.media.tumblr.com/7fd9dc191132ca2c82c2bd7ba1a7fdd3/tumblr_o76ckyzO111voxrgso2_400.jpg  
> tiamat volos: http://66.media.tumblr.com/f477164f54466769d062d26310da0f65/tumblr_o76ckyzO111voxrgso7_400.jpg

Day one of training went like this: Kylo taught the first set of forms he’d learned in Luke’s academy. Everybody caught on quickly, and performed them perfectly by midday. Then, he taught meditation.

“Even when tapping into the Dark side, meditation is important,” Kylo explained, sitting before his six students cross-legged but comfortable, “It’s the easiest way to commune with the Force, and if you’re lucky, besides resting, you might learn something.”

“Master,” Eris said, after a few seconds of sitting still with her eyes closed, “I...”

Kylo stared at her for a moment, and Eris projected what she felt towards him. The Light side was smothering, along with Eris’s embarrassment. Feeling Tiamat’s eyes on him, he shrugged.

“So be it.” He said, finally. Tiamat looked away.

“Try to unlock your potential. Don’t force the Force,” Tiamat supplied, and Pele snorted. 

“If we weren’t from totally different planets, I’d think we were related,” Rune joked, and Tiamat huffed.

“Quiet. Close your eyes. Contemplate the Force.” Kylo raised his voice to be heard. His students hushed, still sending each other looks. 

Getting lost within the Force was a feeling Kylo never quite got used to. His consciousness left his physical body, the lines between Kylo Ren and Ben Organa-Solo thinning. His muddy, dark gray aura bothered him each time he took notice of it. He had tried so hard to eliminate the remaining Light, but nothing seemed to work. He felt Tiamat’s Force, perfectly blended, and frowned to himself. Even Pele, who’d had no idea what the Force was until Maro explained it, had a defined solidity to her weak Force. 

Uneasy, Kylo instinctively reached out to Snoke, but came up short. The gaping hole left in his mind by the ancient master was all he found. No sign the Supreme Leader had been there at all, besides the emptiness of it. He was well and truly alone.

_ No you’re not.  _ Maro’s gentle, soft Force brushed against his mind. Kylo’s first instinct told him to throw back up the walls and retreat within his mind, but he knew Maro meant no harm. The walls remained down.

_ You have us, Master.  _ Maro insisted, and Kylo sighed. Maro was also a muted gray, but his Force seemed to be that way naturally, featherlike and almost pure. Kylo’s mild jealousy returned. These people he’d found had all naturally developed Force signatures. The First Knight had gone from muddy light gray to muddy dark gray, always forced into boxes he didn’t fit inside. His uncle had wanted to banish the Dark. Snoke wanted him to banish the Light. Kylo himself wanted to banish the Light. Lightness was weakness. The lure of the Light side caused Darth Vader’s fall. 

Eventually, Kylo’s thoughts fell silent. The ebb and flow of the Force coursed around him, gently tugging at the edges of his mind. By the time he returned to his body, night was falling. 

The pattern of forms and meditation continued for weeks, punctuated by a regular comm call to Hux. By the third month, Kylo’s students began to practice with wooden staves in place of practice sabers. Maro turned out to be the most talented with a staff, while Eris was the best with meditation. 

 

With reluctance, he taught them basic Light techniques, drawing from the Force rather than emotion. 

“This is so stupid,” Pele whined, flailing unhappily, after consistently failing to lift the rock Kylo had lead his students to. Maro, who’d gotten it on the first try, attempted to comfort the small woman, but she shrugged him off, fuming

“Why can’t I do it! Everybody else could!” Pele shouted, throwing her arms down at her side, and the rock launched itself halfway down the hill. The Knights froze, watching as Pele looked wildly between Kylo and the rock.

“Anger and pain are the easiest emotions to use for the Dark side.” Kylo explained, while Pele stared at the rock she’d thrown, “Anything you feel can be used, though.”

The Knights nodded, and Kylo continued, “However, this exercise was meant to tap into the Light side.”

Pele turned to him, embarrassed, and Kylo waved his hand.

“I didn’t explain it well. It’s not your fault.” He said, and Pele relaxed slightly, cheeks still burning.

_ Instead of using the Force,  _ Kylo tried again,  _ let it use you. While I lift the rock back up the hill, stay in my mind. Feel what I feel, Pele. _

Pele nodded, and Kylo breathed in, and out, and let the Force run through him.


	5. Trouble in Paradise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tiamat causes problems.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fuckin tiamat man. i love her but shes kinda. stuck up. dont worry she chills out eventually

Tiamat stormed out of the courtyard, away from Kylo Ren and the others. She hated him. He was obsessed with the Dark side, and though he taught them about the Light, Tiamat felt like he was keeping something from them. He hadn’t yet explained why they needed to be trained into Knights of Ren, or even what exactly the Knights would do, though they were months into whatever training he was administering them. She had not abandoned her life of laboring for a cruel, commanding boss, just to be trapped in service to another. She could still barely believe that the others were stupid enough to trust him. It was obvious to her that they were all just willfully ignoring the fact they were following the direction of a random wannabe Sith. Fuming as she walked, suddenly, she was stopped. 

“Let me go!” Tiamat roared, expecting Kylo to reply. 

“I am sick of your self righteous attitude,” Eris Ides hissed, voice low and harsh, releasing the shorter woman from her Force hold. Tiamat whipped around. 

“I’m not about to surrender myself to some Darksider freak and spend the rest of my life a slave, Eris!” Tiamat threw her Force out, larger and stronger than it had been before. With a roar, Eris did the same. 

Eris was blinding, the Force swirling around her like a tempest. She was easily the most Light out of all of them, and yet she followed Kylo Ren’s instructions to become Dark. Tiamat didn’t understand how she could be so blindly devoted to him.

“You aren’t any better than the rest of us, Tiamat!” Eris thundered, and the others finally poured out from the courtyard, Kylo Ren at the back of the group.

“Kriff, guys, no fighting,” Canicus tried to mediate, but they ignored him. 

The women snarled at each other, and just as they were about to come to physical blows, Kylo Ren froze them in place.

“Tiamat Volos. Why did you come if you don’t want to be here?” He demanded, walking between the two women.

_ Fuck you.  _ Tiamat seethed, and Kylo shrugged, releasing Eris.

_ You feel I’m hiding something. I have no secrets here, Volos. Ask, and I shall answer.  _ Kylo opened his mind to her, and she took advantage, wildly digging through his surface thoughts and memories like they were odd trinkets.

Tiamat did not ask anything, choosing to discover for herself whatever she thought he was hiding. That he was the son of Han Solo and Leia Organa was certainly a surprise, but what she was looking for, and found by shoving into somewhere that seemed both old and new, was the slaughter of all of the padawans at Luke’s academy. Her blood boiled in her veins.

_ How could you?  _ She demanded, and then began to violently root around, searching for similar events. Without warning, she was suddenly thrown out of Kylo’s mind.

“I told you to ask, whelpling.” Kylo hissed, releasing Tiamat. She fell to the ground, glaring at him uneasily. 

“I’ll never be a soulless, murdering bastard like you.” Tiamat retorted, and Kylo’s mouth closed, his eyes narrowing, posture rigid. Eris looked between his back and the others, where Maro stood shaking his head.

“Good. Don’t be like me.” Kylo growled, and left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is so short im sorry... i have a lot of later chapters written and realized i should probably flesh out the knights a little more before they all get named... and tiamat really needs to have some drama. And Eris. the next chapter is probably going to be short too, but then its gonna get interesting :)  
> ty to everyone whos been commenting! thats really my main source of motivation to keep this going ill be honest


	6. Merry Band of Murderers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maro seeks out Tiamat in an attempt to

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> maro/pele is here... this chapter is very oc heavy. really. like. theres no kylo except for mentions...  
> the next chapter will be similar. i wanna flesh out the relationships between the knights, before kylo has his big "fuck snoke" moment

Things between the Knights were tedious for the next week, Tiamat avoiding everyone and staying in her room, only leaving for meals and forms practice. Kylo did not speak to her, instead choosing to converse with his other students. 

Maro knew things about Kylo Ren. That first night, when Kylo had let him in, Maro had looked around, paying less attention to actual events, and more to the emotions Kylo had gone through. So much of his life had been longing, trying to be what others had wanted him to be, to fit in. 

Tiamat did not understand. The way she placed herself above the rest of them was enough to try even his patience.

Maro sat up in his bed with a sigh, the blanket pooling around his waist. Next to him, Pele stirred.

_ Maro?  _ She projected, blearily, not opening her eyes. Maro shifted, to run a large hand over her silky hair.

_ I woke you? My apologies.  _ Maro pet her hair, and Pele smiled, eyes still closed.

_ Sleep,  _ Pele thought, and yawned,  _ tomorrow will be a long day. _

Maro’s hand stilled.

_ I know you’ll confront Tia. You should be well rested.  _ Pele continued, and Maro sunk back down.

_ Goodnight, my heart.  _ Maro said, after wrapping a solid arm over Pele’s thin waist, and they slept.

 

“Volos.” Maro said flatly, standing outside the open door to Tiamat’s room. The woman inside ignored him, sitting, staring at the wall.

_ Tiamat.  _ Maro tried again, and Tiamat finally responded.

_ What. _

Maro paused, unsure of how to broach the subject, and settled instead for giving Tiamat a glimpse of his own emotions after the falling out she had with Eris and Kylo.

“You don’t even know what he’s capable of,” Tiamat hissed, withdrawing further into her room, and Maro frowned.

“I, as you are, am capable of the same.” Maro said, and Tiamat snorted.

_ You think yourself better than me.  _ Maro accused, and Tiamat stayed silent.

Maro’s upper lip curled, and he opened the floodgates.

The feelings he had experienced from Kylo fell into Tiamat’s mind, and she growled, steeling herself in an attempt to remain impassive.

“He is not the only one to have done wrong.” Maro insisted, and Tiamat snorted.

“What, have you murdered children too?” She challenged, and then stood in shock, at Maro’s silence.

_ I was twelve.  _ Maro closed his eyes,  _ I was twelve, and my little sister was being chased by three boys. They had rocks, and she was bleeding, and the next thing I knew, two had broken skulls, and one was stabbed through the heart. _

Tiamat stared at him, eyes wide.

_ I threw them into the woods with the Force, though I didn’t know what it was. They hit trees. My sister was screaming.  _

_ Fuck.  _ Tiamat breathed,  _ you had no control over that, though. You were just a kid. _

“Kylo Ren was only a few years older than me, Tiamat. And he had outside influence.” Maro narrowed his eyes, “You understand that all of us have killed.”

“I haven’t.” Tiamat claimed, but the set of her shoulders told Maro she was lying.

He stayed silent, instead choosing to shrug his shoulders.

_ If you truly do not want to be here, I’m sure Kylo will be happy to drop you off back where he found you, and pick up someone else.  _ Maro said, and Tiamat tensed, objecting.

“It’s not that...” She said, finally, and looked away.

_ He’s following the orders of some mysterious creature, Maro. If Kylo Ren is our master, and that being is his master, we become puppets to a puppet. _

_ Haven’t you felt it?  _ Maro raised his eyebrows, and Tiamat squinted at him.  _ Things are changing, my friend. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tiamat/eris is next yall.   
> also yeah everyone has killed someone. maro killed those kids chasing his sister (who btw doesnt talk to him anymore). pele killed someone trying to steal from her. i dont rly have clear details on the others, and im probably not gonna talk abt it in the fic. tiamat accidentally killed her brother, and idk if im gonna elaborate on it in the fic so i figured i might as well just include it here jsfjhbjer


	7. Under the Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tiamat makes amends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I WANTED THIS TO BE GAYER BUT ALAS, I HAVE FAILED. they just. didnt want to. so i made them kiss offscreen at the end. this chapter has drained the essence of my soul

Eris raised her face to the sun, and breathed. She never got tired of the earthy dampness of the moon, the way the air felt wet in her lungs, but in a good way. She felt alive.

Tiamat watched her, from the temple, and straightened her shoulders, walking forwards.

“I’m sorry.” Tiamat said, plainly. Eris did not move.

“For?” The taller woman asked, and Tiamat crossed her arms.

“I never meant to imply I was better than any of you,” Tiamat murmured, meekly. Eris lowered her head, and turned to the oak haired girl before her.

“You are forgiven.”

They stood, facing each other on the hill, not speaking. 

 

Many days passed before Tiamat worked up the nerve to speak to Kylo Ren.

It took some searching, but she eventually found him, leaning onto a windowsill, absently playing with a thread fraying from his large brown scarf.

“Kylo?” Tiamat said, softly, and Kylo straightened, turning to her.

He forgave her as quickly as Eris had, and she was unnerved by how strangely young he’d looked, for how exhausted his aura was. If she couldn’t see his face, she’d assume he was eons older than her. Though she was certainly younger than him, it was only by a few years. Before, Tiamat had never truly taken the time to look at him, usually glaring at the space next to his head, or just anywhere but his face. He was haunted. All of a sudden, Tiamat understood what Maro had said.

 

Tiamat sat on the stone floor of her barren room, setting her tray of food before her. Food rations were familiar fare, consistently disappointing, but nutritious. Just as she was about to dig in, a noise caught her attention.

Eris Ides stood in the doorway, her own tray in her hands. Tiamat stared at her in confusion.

The taller woman entered, and sat down across from Tiamat, setting her tray on the ground.

“Um...” Tiamat said, dumbly. Eris began to eat.

Every meal, without fail, Eris took with Tiamat. They rarely spoke, and when they did, it was about a new form Kylo had taught them, or something funny one of them remembered from their home planet. Eris was tall, her voice was light and airy, and she had a faint dusting of freckles across the bridge of her nose, barely visible against her richly dark skin.

They got along surprisingly well. Once Tiamat suggested they take a walk in the gardens behind the fortress, overgrown and unkempt though they were, Eris and Tiamat spent a good amount of time caring for the plants, meditating together underneath a large tree. After a few weeks, they became inseparable, falling asleep in each other’s rooms, sharing a bed. 

“They’re such good friends,” Rune whispered to Canicus, who snorted, as Tiamat was shoved against a tree by Eris. Out of the two men’s line of sight, the two were clearly making out.

“Rune, they’re lesbians.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> one day, i will avenge my lesbian ocs. i already have the next few chapters written. maybe ill throw in a filler chapter thats just tia and eris being gay and in love.  
> trust me there was a lot of wooing before they finally got together but i dont have it in me to write it. romance is dead


	8. Light and Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kylo Ren understands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i was originally planning to have another chapter bridge the last one and this but... im lazy and i want to get back to the actual plot

For the first time, meditation was peaceful. There were no ugly looks, no giggles, no nothing. Kylo sighed in content.

His Force signature freely mingled with those of his students, Tiamat running over her forms, Rune dissecting Force presences, Canicus wondering about Force shields. Eris thought of the stars, Maro of an ocean lapping against the shore. Pele daydreamed about crowded streets and delicious foods. 

Kylo pondered the Force. There could never be true balance when the Light was always more in number, always stronger, and always the heroes. Kylo Ren was not born to be a hero. Ben Organa-Solo might of been, but not Kylo Ren, The First and Master of the Knights of Ren. Balancing the Force, Darth Vader’s fated quest, was the mantle Kylo Ren had stepped into. Balance...

Kylo wrenched himself out of meditation, jumping to his feet, and ran out of the courtyard.

“Kylo!?” Canicus, the first to fall out of meditation, called after him. Kylo ignored him, searching the temple with his mind for a room suitable for isolated meditation.

_ Master?  _ Rune broke past Kylo’s focus, stopping the First Knight in his tracks.

_ I must meditate by myself for a bit.  _ Kylo snapped,  _ I’ll show you some forms. Teach the others these while I am busy.  _ He sent the man memories of the forms, more complex blocks and strikes than what he had been teaching. 

_ Of course.  _ Rune withdrew. Kylo resumed his quest.

He found a windowless room deep within one of the halls, and threw himself inside. It was cool, dark, and smelled like water. Settling into a seated position, Kylo Ren rested his palms on his knees, and closed his eyes.

He understood. The balance he had been seeking his whole life, the balance Darth Vader was meant to restore, was not a matter of sides. Deep within Kylo, the boy who was Ben had never been one or the other. As a padawan, he struggled with his emotions, unable to let go. Emotions were meant to be felt, and then released, as Luke Skywalker taught him. But he couldn’t. He had never wanted to lose the feeling of the sun on his face, the way he felt when his mother had still made time for him, the way his heart felt like it would burst when both of his parents arrived to visit. He wanted to keep the hurt he felt when Han didn’t show up, the disappointment when he couldn’t do something that came so easily to the others. 

Snoke had promised he would be able to feel and keep everything. Every heartache and triumph. As a child told every day to release his emotions, he’d jumped at the opportunity to be himself his own way. Snoke had offered him power, and with that, came the opportunity to fulfill Darth Vader’s quest.

He’d gone from a black sheep in white wool, to a white sheep in black wool. Neither one, nor the other. Kylo Ren could not remember what the Force felt like before he was forced to choose a side. He breathed in, and out, and let go. 

The Force in its natural state was neither Dark nor Light. It simply was. Kylo focused on himself, specifically. To be balanced, he would need to become the unchanged Force. 

The First Knight pictured himself as a double edged sword, and then scrapped the visualization. Next, he became a planet orbiting a star, which was also forgotten. Finally, Kylo came to understand what he needed to become. 

The Master of the Knights of Ren, Kylo Ren, Ben Organa-Solo, opened his eyes. He had no idea how much time had passed, and was suddenly struck by how hungry he was. 

_ Kylo?  _ Maro was the first to reach out.  _ It’s been about six days.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kylo's final visualization is more him realizing he needs to be both the light and the dark. one can't exist without the other. if you don't have a light, you cnt have a shadow  
> ok well technically without light everything would be shadows but Also technically without light there wouldnt be shadows. if u think about it. Anyways
> 
> hux is back next chapter... or, his voice is... but yea Get Ready


	9. The Knights of Ren

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kylo speaks with Hux, and the Knights are named.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i squished two chapters together with this one bc i didnt want to make "full length" chapters out of the two stubs i had originally...

He’d spent six days in isolated meditation, the Force surrounding him like a chrysalis. He emerged from his meditation hungry and rank, and his aura pulsated with newfound power. Stumbling out of the room knock kneed and blinking, like a fresh born fawn, he adjusted to the heavy curtain of Force now surrounding him.

As he headed towards the courtyard, where he felt his students waiting, he felt almost as if he were walking through syrup. Everything around his bled Force. The feeling was so intense, like nothing he had experienced. 

When he reached the archway that opened to the courtyard, he paused. Each of his student’s signatures seemed both muted and overpoweringly vibrant at the same time. He took a deep breath, feeling his lungs expand and his diaphragm drop, and exhaled. He walked forwards.

 

By the end of the day, he had adjusted almost completely to the changes, no longer feeling like he was swimming through the Force. He had taught each one of his Knights a more personalized version of the forms he had originally shown them, leaving them to spar as he then walked out to his ship.

General Hux answered on the first ring.

“Good evening.” Hux said, and then, “Starkiller is nearing the midpoint of it’s construction.”

Kylo blinked, unsure of how to respond. His silence prompted Hux to continue.

“You’ve been gone two years, today.”

Admittedly, Kylo had lost track of the months he’d been gone, caught up with teaching his students. He made a strange coughing noise, and Hux sighed.

“Kylo, how much longer will you be away?”

“Why, Hux, do you miss me?” Kylo joked weakly, expecting a snort and a denial from the red headed General on the other line.

Hux remained silent for a time, and then spoke.

“The Supreme Leader grows... concerned with how much time you’ve been gone.” Hux said, flatly. Kylo almost stopped breathing. He’d almost forgotten that this was a mission from the ancient being.

“We just need to craft sabers and helmets, and then I’ll return.” Kylo said, uncomfortably. Snoke would not be happy with what he had done on the surface of the moon, especially after he had sworn to train a band of Darksider Knights. 

“To me.” Hux said like it wasn’t a question, and Kylo remembered his other promise.

“Of course, Hux,” Kylo blurted, “I will come back for you.”

“What do you mean, for me?” Hux questioned, suspicious, and Kylo cursed, trying to come up with a cover.

_ Master.  _ Pele brushed gently against his mind.  _ I don’t mean to eavesdrop, but... just tell him. _

_ I can’t. This isn’t a secure connection.  _ Kylo replied, and then sighed. Hux made a noise on the other line.

“I will explain when I return.” Kylo finally said. He could almost see the frown on Hux’s face.

“Very well.” The rhythmic tapping of Hux’s fingers on the side of the comm made his annoyance clear. The call ended before Kylo could even open his mouth to reply.

 

He returned to the courtyard, where Rune and Tiamat were sparring, twirling and flipping about the cobblestone. Canicus and Pele were practicing Force shoves and shields against each other, the air around them crackling with energy. In the far corner, Kylo watched Eris and Maro cutting at each other like their wooden staves were cast in iron, hitting heavy and hard. Out of everyone, Maro’s style was the most surprising. His Force was so gentle and calming, but his forms were so heavy and offensive. Each hit was meant to be the killing blow.

He held back during sparring, but against Eris, he felt no need. She fought the same way, and the whole time, they were in each other’s minds, ensuring there would be no accidental injuries.

They all stopped as Kylo passed through the arch, and turned to their master.

“How’d it go?” Pele asked, and Kylo sighed dramatically.

“Hux is mad at me.” He said, flatly, and summoned a wooden staff to his hand. He had not yet sparred with any of his students, and they regarded him nervously.

“Maro.” Kylo looked directly at the slightly shorter man, who stared at Kylo quizzically.

_ Spar with me.  _ Kylo said, and Maro hesitated, before replying. 

_ I don’t want to hurt you. _

_ You won’t.  _ Kylo scoffed, and raised his staff, settling into a starting form.

By the end of their match, they had each broken at least three staves each, and Kylo had ended the spar with a leg sweep, laying Maro out flat on his back.

 

Another month passed, and finally, the six Knights kneeled before Kylo Ren in the courtyard, heads bowed, dead silent. Above them all, the light of the planets broke through the night, softly illuminating the surface of the moon. The stars watched on, as the Master of the Knights of Ren stared wearily at his students, who knelt, hooded. He spoke.

“Maro Dosk.”

The Knight stood, his cloak rippling in the gentle breeze. The Force plucked like strings on a harp, as a name fell into Kylo’s head. They touched minds, and Hadrus Ren lowered his hood.

“Pele Makoa.” And she became Thana Ren.

“Eris Ides.” Gunvor Ren.

“Rune Helta.” Merikh Ren.

“Canicus Damon.” Aden Ren.

“Tiamat Volos.” Tiamat stood gracefully, and smiled. Valdis Ren lowered her hood, and lifted her face to the stars..

The Knights all stood, hoodless, and Kylo lowered his own. Their Force presences mingled, stronger, sharper, and more defined than when they first landed on the moon. The First Knight closed his eyes, and inhaled deeply. Soon, Kylo would return to the Finalizer, his Knights in tow. Another month, perhaps, for the Knights to build their sabers, and craft their helmets. Then, they would have to prepare for Snoke. He exhaled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ill be referring to the knights with their ____ ren names from this point forwards. it literally says their new names in the last bit but im gonna restate them here and again at the beginning of the next chapter(s?) for easy "oh yeah thats who that is" purposes  
> maro dosk = hadrus ren  
> pele makoa = thana ren  
> eris ides = gunvor ren  
> rune helta = merikh ren  
> canicus damon = aden ren  
> tiamat volos = valdis ren  
> i have... no idea what their masks should look like... if any of u are artistically inclined and want to help me out.. hmu


	10. The Padawan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kylo tracks down an old acquaintance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> two more ocs join the mess...  
> the knights arent really in this chapter but,  
> maro dosk = hadrus ren  
> pele makoa = thana ren  
> eris ides = gunvor ren  
> rune helta = merikh ren  
> canicus damon = aden ren  
> tiamat volos = valdis ren

Kylo Ren led his Knights through the crowded marketplace, tendrils of Force searching for his target. In the many, many years since he had been a padawan, he had no reason to remember where to his uncle had taken him to build his lightsaber. On this planet, however, there was someone who would know.

She was the only padawan who had been off-planet when Kylo had killed the others, and even after eliminating the remaining Force sensitives in the main systems near the First Order’s headquarters, she had eluded both him and Snoke. It was almost as if she fell into a black hole.

For years, they had assumed her either dead or otherwise not a problem, but since Kylo had truly connected with the Force, he felt a familiar presence.

It was highly unlikely that she would recognize him, but he kept his hand on his saber, just in case.

“Madra! Where’d you put the calcinators?” Grisanne shouted, and Kylo spun around. The padawan, Grisanne, stood behind a stall, loose curls half pulled into a bun on top of her head, the rest hanging down her tanned neck. She had grown tall, almost as tall as Kylo himself, and she wore clothes similar to those of a Jedi. Her companion, Madra, a short blonde woman, with bobbed hair and sunburned cheeks, shouted something unintelligible back, and Grisanne groaned.

“What?” Madra snapped, and Grisanne sighed dramatically.

“Nevermind.”

 

Kylo observed them for a bit, while his Knights milled about the market, buying snacks and supplies for their helmets and sabers. Hand firmly planted around his saber, Kylo walked forwards.

“Excuse me,” he said, and Madra looked up from the mess of wires in her lap.

“Oh, can I help you?” She asked, dusting off her hands and sliding the wires into a bin. Kylo nodded.

“I need to speak to Grisanne.” He said, nervous. Grisanne presumably had not gotten any more training after the massacre, but she had always been particularly bloodthirsty. 

“Alright,” Madra said, and then turned to where Grisanne was tinkering, “Grisanne! You’ve got a customer.”

Grisanne stood, wiped her hands on an oil rag, and turned around.

“Fuck you!” She growled, green eyes glowing dangerously, pointing directly at Kylo’s chest.

“We must talk, Grisanne.” Kylo announced, and Grisanne withdrew her beat-up lightsaber.

“You’re damn right, traitor.” She hissed, and motioned after her. Madra grabbed a blaster from under the table, and trained it loosely on Kylo’s unmasked head. She squinted at him, and then lowered it.

“Don’t try anything.” The short woman warned, as Kylo followed Grisanne behind the stall. He nodded.

 

“You’ve got balls, coming here after what you did.” Grisanne said, crossing her arms.

“I need kyber crystals, Grisanne.” Kylo got right to the point, and Grisanne snorted.

“I need a new ship, and a better job, and for all of my friends that you murdered to be alive.” Grisanne seethed, “Why would I help you?”

Kylo was quiet. He’d expected more of a physical fight, but it seemed Grisanne had calmed in the time since she was young.

“I have six students that need sabers.” Kylo explained, and Grisanne’s eyebrow raised skeptically.

“Oh, really?” She uncrossed her arms, and Kylo tensed.

“Much has happened since we last met.”

“No shit, Darth Asshole.” Grisanne sneered. Kylo sensed Aden’s laughter at the insult, and frowned.

“I’m not a Sith lord, Master... Jerkface.” Kylo retorted, and Grisanne stared at him with a blank expression, before snorting with laughter.

“Master Jerkface?” She wheezed, bending over and slapping her thigh, “Kriff, I’m still beyond pissed at you, but that was classic, Ben.”

Kylo grimaced.

“I’m not Ben.”

Grisanne laughed harder, and squeaked, “Ok, Not-Ben.” 

_ I like her.  _ Valdis announced, and Kylo sighed, sliding his gloved hands down his face.

“Stormbreaker, I need crystals. If you would like to meet my students, that can be arranged. I’m under a very tight schedule, and they need to be accustomed to saber fighting.”

“Why?” Grisanne finally stopped laughing, straightening up. She was still very clearly angry, but curiosity had taken over.

_ I’m going to kill my Master.  _ Kylo said, and Grisanne stared at him, eyes wide.

_ You feel different.  _ She replied, her Force all edges and blades, and the color of iron. Kylo nodded. Grisanne continued,  _ Well, let’s see these students of yours.  _

Kylo Ren summoned his Knights.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> madra shepherd and grisanne stormbreaker are lesbian lovers & they run a junking business. grisanne also assassinates people. they Might make a reappearance either at the very end or when shit hits the fan for reals, but idk yet. 
> 
> grisanne has a hard time holding a grudge, esp if someone makes her laugh. shes still really upset tho. the fact she wasnt there when everyone died really haunts her bc she feels like she couldve saved some of the younger kids at least.


	11. Crystal Caverns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grisanne takes the Knights of Ren to the crystal caverns to make their sabers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> say goodbye to grisanne shes leaving next chapter for a while. kylos always gonna be ben to grisanne. she honestly thinks the name kylo is kinda dumb, but ya kno

Grisanne left Madra behind with a kiss and a whispered promise. Joining the Knights on Kylo’s ship, she copiloted to the planet where Luke used to take padawans for kyber crystals.

Kylo Ren felt ill at ease the entire time. His Knights had taken to Grisanne, and vice versa, but she still was not the happiest with him. 

Hadrus and Thana meditated together, both cross legged, Thana sitting in Hadrus’s lap. They felt the stars whizzing by, the roiling discomfort in the cockpit, and the happy camaraderie between the Knights who sat in the mess, sipping hot tea.

_ What color do you think your saber is going to be, love?  _ Thana wondered, and Hadrus hummed in contemplation.

_ Not red, I heard those don’t occur naturally,  _ he replied,  _ but I don’t really see myself with a traditionally Jedi color, either. And you, my heart? _

_ I really want a pink one!  _ Thana bubbled.  _ But anything would make me happy. We’re getting sabers! That’s so cool. _

_ It is.  _ Hadrus smiled.

 

_ So, Ben, you call yourself Kylo Ren now?  _ Grisanne asked, humming an unfamiliar tune to herself as she absently pressed buttons, refusing to use coordinates as she navigated them towards the crystal caves in the Outer Rim. 

_ It is my Knighted name, Stormbreaker.  _ Kylo replied, carefully. Grisanne’s hands froze.

_ Ah. I see. So, your Trials were slaughtering helpless younglings and fellow padawans?  _ She said coldly, sitting back in her chair.  _ How could you, Ben? You had so much potential. _

_ Don’t, Grisanne.  _ Kylo hissed.  _ I truly believed it was the right thing to do. My Master, Snoke, told me it was the only way to be powerful.  _

_ They were children, Ben! The youngest weren’t even six yet!  _ Grisanne howled, clenching her fists in her lap. Kylo closed his eyes, and breathed hard out his nose.

_ I could never of been a Jedi, Grisanne. It was not my fate. I have always been too Dark. _

Grisanne snarled, frustrated, and poked at him with her Force.

_ We were all a family, Ben. You murdered your own brothers and sisters at the words of some... Sith wannabe.  _ She insisted, and Kylo grimaced.

_ I will make things right, Grisanne. I cannot and would not take back what I’ve done.  _ He said, not pausing long enough for Grisanne to squeeze a word in,  _ That does not mean I don't regret it, let me be clear. But, that is in the past. I will make the future better. _

_ You sound like Master Skywalker.  _ Grisanne wrinkled her nose, her rage folding back into her like a flower blooming in reverse. Kylo opened his eyes, and stared at her.

“I suppose you’ve become a Master in your own right,” Grisanne continued, “You’ve got six padawans, you’re at peace with the Force, and you even grew into your ears.”

Kylo frowned. Grisanne ignored him, “Master Organa-Solo... huh. What do your Knights call you?”

“Just Master, or Kylo.” He replied, “Ben Organa-Solo is a dead name.”

“Yes,” Grisanne agreed, “but not a dead man.”

 

The crystal caverns were massive and pitch dark. The Force seemed to bleed out of the mouth of the cave, singing to the Knights of Ren and drawing them in like sirens.

It was too easy to find the crystals. Within five minutes, every one of Kylo’s six Knights held one, cradled like a baby bird in their palms. Even Kylo himself held a crystal, both surprised and not at the same time.

His Force signature had changed, so naturally, his cracked crystal in his red saber was no longer attuned to him.

Grisanne supplied the parts, and instructed the seven Knights through the construction of their sabers. Kylo finished first, having already constructed sabers in his life. A golden blade sparked to life, rich and deep, and Kylo stared at it in shock. Gold sabers usually belonged to highly skilled and powerful Force users. He had only heard of them in legends told by Luke, belonging to great Jedi Masters. And now one lay, heavy and buzzing gently, in his hands. Grisanne whistled, impressed.

Valdis was the next to complete a saber, and it burned yellow. Not the rich gold of Kylo’s saber, but a vibrant sunshine yellow. Gunvor followed, hers blue as the deep oceans she dreamt of. Hadrus’s lightsaber was also blue, but it was more sky than sea, clear and inviting. He was surprised by the color of his saber having expected a more red color, but he also felt deeply satisfied.

Thana’s saber came out a vibrant orange, while Aden’s saber was a gentle green. Merikh’s saber was a combination between purple and blue, brightly burning in the dark of the cave.

“Congratulations.” Grisanne smiled at them all, surprised by the Jedi colors that had cropped up. She activated her own lightsaber, a bottle green blade, and held it in front of her, contemplatively.

“Thank you, Master Stormbreaker.” Kylo said, after a moment, and Grisanne’s arm fell slack to her side in confusion. His Knights echoed him, and Grisanne looked away.

“You’re welcome,” she replied, and deactivated her saber. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> grisanne always wanted to have a padawan one day, even more than she wanted to be a jedi. kylo slaughtering the younglings really did a number on her. if this fic goes the way i want it to, she might get her wish :)  
> ALSo lightsaber color meanings! i totally just googled it and used like the second link But Hey,  
> were about to get back to the action. im gonna skip the knights making their helmets bc, im lazy... but anyways shis gonna happen soon!


	12. Homecoming Preparation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day of return is scheduled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> double update! whoo! this ones rly short. i have the next chapter done too but ill wait to upload it until tomorrow

Grisanne flew them back to her home, and supplied Kylo with the materials necessary to build his Knight’s new helmets. They stayed a night in Grisanne and Madra’s cramped home, the short blonde immediately warming to the Knights. She cooked a large dinner, making enough food for twenty, rather than nine. They all thanked her nonetheless, and ate as much as they could stomach. Aden and Merikh had no trouble putting away several servings, but Hadrus and the others slowed after a second helping.

“Contact us when you’ve accomplished your task.” Grisanne said, more like an order than a suggestion, and Kylo nodded.

“I will do so. If Skywalker comes out of hiding, you should be there.” He said, and Grisanne’s eyes misted over.

“May the Force be with you.” Grisanne said, and stood back, Madra’s arm wrapping around her thin waist in comfort, as Kylo turned to walk up the ramp of his ship.

The Knights constructed their helmets during the flight, while Kylo set about alerting Hux that they would soon return.

“How long?” Hux asked for the fifth time, dazed.

“Six days.” Kylo repeated, not at all annoyed. Hux hummed, and cleared his throat.

“So...” He began, and then stopped, swallowing. Kylo smiled, despite himself, and could not help the swirl of excited anticipation in his chest.

“I will be returning to you at approximately 13 hours, in six days.” Kylo said, and then, riskily, “I have missed you greatly, my dearest General.”

Hux was silent for a hot minute, and then yelled, “You...! Kylo, you massive saber brain!”

Kylo laughed at Hux’s exasperated tone, while the General huffed. He grinned as Hux muttered to himself.

“You are insufferable.” Hux said, finally.

“I simply stated I missed you, Hux.” Kylo said, deadpan, “I also miss the sonic showers, and the incredible view of space from the Finalizer’s bridge.”

Hux sputtered, “Kylo-”

“I am eager to see you General.” Kylo continued, “I have much to speak with you about. I haven’t seen your face in two years.”

“I... I need to go,” Hux said, after a moment, and Kylo wilted.

“I see.” He said flatly.

“I await your return, Kylo Ren. 13 hours in six days. I will be waiting for you to come back to me.”

Hux signed off after his final word, and Kylo found himself grinning yet again. He walked out of the cockpit, trying to erase his smile, but the looks on his student’s faces told him he failed.

“Boyfriend’s excited to see you?” Aden jabbed, and Kylo attempted a stern frown at him, but failed.

“After you finish your helmets, we need to get you all some black clothes and cloaks.” Kylo said, instead. The Knights nodded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> theyre gonna get their super cool outfits off screen... heres what they look like:  
> http://sundububaby.tumblr.com/post/144892345280  
> they should be labeled but if you cant see it/it doesnt work, the order from left to right once you expand the pics is: aden ren, gunvor ren, hadrus ren, merikh ren, thana ren, valdis ren


	13. Return to the Finalizer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Knights of Ren return.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> snoke is a dick

The General counted down the minutes to Kylo Ren’s return. Naturally, Snoke would get first dibs, but Kylo Ren had a promise to make good on.

Little did he know, Kylo had already made it back.

“I sent you away to side yourself wholly with Darkness, Kylo Ren, but you are practically glowing with Light.” Snoke hissed. Kylo contorted on the floor of the holo room.

“You have grown soft.” Snoke continued, and Kylo screamed, something within him cracking, “I am merciful, and you are truly my favorite apprentice. You have so much promise, Kylo Ren. I will fix your mistakes.”

Kylo writhed, as Snoke attempted to torture the Light from him. The First Knight slowly cloaked his signature, projecting his Darkness, praying Snoke would be fooled. The Knights stood by, quelling their horror, and avoiding drawing Snoke’s attention.

“Retrain your Knights. Retrain yourself. Then, I have orders for you.”

 

Long hours passed, and Kylo did not return. Hux sighed, and decided to head back to his room. As he walked down the pristine corridor, he paused slightly. There was a thin trail of blood, leading all the way to his door. Hux drew his blaster, and opened the door.

Laid out on his bed, Kylo Ren wheezed slightly with each breath. Three Knights sat around him, their hands on his chest, muttering amongst themselves. Two stood by the window, and one paced anxiously. They all looked up to Hux as he entered.

“What the fuck?” Hux demanded, as the door shut behind him, dropping his blaster onto the ground.

“He’ll be fine,” one of the Knights with her hands on Kylo’s chest replied, turning back to the Knight on Hux’s bed.

“Why are you in my room?” Hux pointed at the Knight who was pacing.

“Our Master has business to discuss with you, and he passed out 12 times on the way here,” Hadrus replied, continuing to pace, “We decided he’d better lay down.”

Hux groaned, sliding his hands down his face. Kylo coughed on the bed.

“Hux.” The Master of the Knights of Ren croaked, voice hoarse even through the helmet, and Hux rushed to his side.

“Kylo?”

_ It’s easier to talk this way.  _ Kylo brushed against Hux’s mind gently.  _ Remove my helmet. I have a bloody nose. _

“Uh, how?” Hux said, confused, and Valdis, the one who’d spoken first, removed the helmet. Kylo’s face was bruised and bloody, and Hux was taken aback. He hadn’t expected his first time seeing the Knight’s unmasked face to be like this. Kylo Ren seemed so incredibly young. Reasonably, Hux knew he was just barely younger than him, and yet, Kylo looked many years his junior. The Knight had a heavy-handed dusting of freckles and moles, Hux noted.

_ Thank you. Hux, Snoke needs to be taken out. Not today, not for a while. _

“Kylo!” Hux couldn’t help himself from shouting in surprise, and Kylo winced. Hux immediately felt bad, and quieted down, “Kylo, that’s incredibly dangerous for you to say to me.”

_ Hux... I trust you with my life, and with the lives of my Knights.  _ Kylo admitted.  _ You won’t betray me. _

“Kriff, Kylo,” Hux sighed, and Kylo smiled, dried blood on his lips cracking. He grabbed the sleeve of Hux’s coat with one hand, and closed his eyes.

_ I admit, I only returned because of you.  _ Kylo explained, and Hux shook his head.

“Well, you can follow some orders, at least.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hux & kylo get a little bit of alone time next chapter


	14. Unstoppable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kylo Ren shares his learnings with Hux.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im sorry i wanted them to be sappy and gross but that can wait. this couldnt really. hux needed to see how powerful kylo is

The other Knights left, on Kylo’s orders, to go eat and rest. 

“You saber brained idiot,” Hux said without venom, unconsciously smoothing a hand over the Knight’s thick dark hair. 

Kylo grinned sheepishly,  _ Guilty as charged. _

“So, what’s the plan?” Hux asked, and Kylo pouted.

_ What, no welcome back present?  _ He joked, and Hux frowned at him, the tips of his ears burning brightly.

“Insufferable.” Hux sniffed haughtily, still petting Kylo’s hair.

_ I have unlocked my true potential.  _ Kylo said,  _ I am one, I am whole. I am balance. _

“Explain?” Hux raised an eyebrow, sitting down on the edge of his bed. Kylo squinted in thought.

_ I can show you.  _ He offered. Hux was apprehensive, but trusted him, and nodded.

 

The First Knight opened a direct pathway to Hux’s mind, and gently pushed his Force through. Compared to Valdis’s light and shadow, Kylo was a supernova and a black hole. Rather than mixing into a gray at the edges, there was only incredible, impossible brightness, and deep, endless darkness. Sharp edges between Light and Dark swirled together, like flames licking at each other. Hux gasped, as Kylo’s Force brushed at his thoughts. He had felt it previously, when Kylo had used the Force to intimidate, as a dog would growl and raise its hackles. Before, it was heavy and oppressive, and dark, but it was not Dark.

Now, though, Hux understood. This was not even the tip of the iceberg. Kylo had lived so long, forcing himself to be one or the other, that his growth as a Force user had been capped, he could only go so far before hitting the ceiling. 

Kylo Ren withdrew his presence, as gently as he had imposed it, but Hux could still feel it. He had been burned and frozen simultaneously. The Dark ran hot, passionate and fiercely emotional, while the Light was distant, cold, but peaceful. The false dichotomy of Light versus Dark was not true. The stories, whispered in the halls Kylo Ren roamed, spoken of at parties and events behind hands and raised glasses, that Hux had overheard his whole life, were wrong.

Kylo watched Hux put two and two together, reclined on the bed. He wasn’t sure that the General would totally understand, but even if he weren’t Force sensitive and able to hear the redhead’s thoughts, he’d be able to see it plain on his face.

The true nature of the Force was difficult to understand. It was simple, as a concept, but somehow, a clean line had been drawn between Light and Dark. Light was good, pure, heroic, while Dark was evil, corrupt, and power hungry. In actuality, rather than two separate things, they were simply two sides of the same coin. There was no Dark Force, and no Light Force. It was just The Force.

And now that Kylo understood, he would be unstoppable. He could unlock the power to destroy star systems with a thought, he could slaughter unfathomable numbers of enemies on a whim. Hux came to this conclusion, and stared at the lanky, broad shouldered man on his bed, face caked in his own dried blood, long hair tangled, dark brown doe eyes staring at him in contemplation.

_ I don’t want to do those things.  _ Kylo said, simply.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> at the end of the day kylo just wants to curl up in a warm bed (with hux) and sleep peacefully. i feel like he has never enjoyed killing, even though he does so much of it. every death stays with him.  
> also i totally just wanted to get all nerdy about how i personally feel like the force is...


	15. A Change of Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Knights doing things on the Finalizer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the real actions gonna happen next chapter so this is kind of a bridge

Thana Ren stared out a window, leaning against the metal frame. Stars stared back, old and young, watching the Finalizer in orbit of Starkiller. As she blinked, she sensed movement behind her.

Turning, she noticed two troopers, who had slowed their pace to stare at her, presumably in curiosity. They faltered, startled by her sudden movement, and turned to salute her politely. She sensed their confusion at a masked, hooded, short Knight on board. So far, nobody but Hux knew that there were six other Knights besides the Master.

“Good evening.” Thana greeted, taking a wild guess at what time it was, and the troopers automatically repeated her, adding a “sir” tagged onto the end. She smiled behind her mask.

 

The First Order didn’t know what food was. Merikh Ren glared at the mess in disgust, watching helmetless troopers and other workers feed on off-white mush, beige, egg-sized lumps of what Merikh assumed were supposed to be biscuits, and little dark green cubes. It was horrifying. 

As he stood in the door, someone bumped into his shoulder. Turning his head to see who it was, he saw a helmeted trooper, radiating surprise and fear at the masked, hooded figure he’d run into. FN-2187, Merikh scooped off the top of the trooper’s conscious. The trooper apologized profusely, before scurrying past, making a beeline for the mess line.

 

Gunvor and Valdis were sparring. Gleaning the location of the training rooms from the General had been staggeringly easy, given that the man’s thoughts were almost like a beacon, projected without a care. Despite the General’s mostly calm and controlled exterior, the inside of his mind was chaos.

As soon as they had crossed the threshold, they stripped down to their undershirts and their pants, and took up the beginning poses to the styles they had created, under their master’s guidance. Unarmored troopers had been using machines and weights, but now focused on the fierce match between the two tall women.

Gunvor dodged a jab from Valdis, and leapt over her, twisting in midair to aim a kick at the brunette’s shoulder. Valdis shifted liquidly, and Gunvor’s foot swung through the empty air. Gunvor Ren landed, and lunged for Valdis.

 

Hadrus and Aden Ren were passed out cold in Kylo’s room. All of the Knights had returned, before going off on their own, but Hadrus and Aden had fallen asleep within seconds of sitting on the edge of Kylo’s bed. In his dreams, Hadrus practiced the most complex forms Kylo had taught before they left the temple. Aden, however had visions.

There was a girl. She was strong, and young, and had mountains of potential hidden underneath the clothes she wore. She wielded the Force like Kylo did, and although she was weaker than him, her connection was more whole. She was as terrifying as she was beautiful, which was an incredible amount. The girl, hardened by years of desolation, was so kind, and Aden Ren was instantly in love with her.

 

Hux had brought a dampened cloth to wipe the blood off of Kylo’s face. The Master of the Knights of Ren had removed his outer clothes, enough strength returned so that he could sit up on his own. He had told Hux his plans, placing a heavy shell around them in the General’s mind, so Snoke wouldn’t be able to find them. He had explained what must be done, and Hux had listened, silent and thoughtful. The red head’s inner dialogue was telling, though.

_ There are other Generals, besides you.  _ Kylo stated, and Hux frowned, taking great care in cleaning the Knight’s face. 

“There are, indeed.” Hux spent extra time in gently dabbing the blood away from Kylo’s cracked lips.

_ Even if the entire Finalizer defects, there are many other ships of this size who will not take kindly to a coup.  _ Kylo sighed,  _ Though we will have killed the beast, his loyal hounds will not so readily accept a new master. _

“Loyal hounds?” Hux snorted, “You’re aware, Kylo, that you’ve been the Supreme Leader’s attack dog for years.”

_ That’s the difference. I will bite the hand that feeds me. They will not.  _

“I see.” Hux hummed, wiping the cloth one last time across Kylo’s chin. He sat back, admiring his work. 

_ Your entire crew is loyal to you. There is not a person on this ship who would take orders from Snoke if they went against you.  _ Kylo said, and Hux stared at him in surprise.  _ You didn’t know? _

“Why wouldn’t they take orders from my superior?” Hux asked, and Kylo shrugged.

_ You’re real to them. Snoke isn’t.  _ He suggested, and Hux looked away, mind racing.

 

Another hour passed, Hux sorting files on his datapad, while Kylo meditated on his bed, the subtle buzz of the ship driving deep into the Knight’s bones. 

He stood, abruptly, and staggered over towards the General, who jumped, and looked up at him.

“Hux.” Kylo said, his voice grating, and the General stood, looking around for something for him to drink.

“Water?” Hux asked, and Kylo nodded. Hux grabbed a cup from a cupboard Kylo had never noticed before, and filled it with water from the tap in the refresher. He walked back over to where the Knight stood in the center of the room, and handed it to him.

Kylo sipped the water slowly, and Hux didn’t move until it was all gone, taking the glass back and setting it down on his desk. He turned back to Kylo, blinking as he was suddenly face to face with the Knight of Ren. Kylo felt like he was having some sort of vision, and he reached up with both hands, cupping the slightly shorter man’s face like it was something precious. Hux’s eyebrows drew together, as millions of thoughts clamored for his focus. 

The First Knight titled his head down, and rest his forehead against the General’s. Hux’s skin was warm, flushed, and smooth.

“Hux,” Kylo said again, eyes closed. He could feel the General staring at his eyelids.

“Yes?” Hux asked, breathless and confused. They stood, silent, Hux’s face in Kylo’s hands, foreheads touching, for what seemed like eons.

“After all of this is over, after Snoke is dead, and whatever retaliation from the others is defeated, I will be returning with my Knights to the temple.” Kylo said after a time, stepping back from Hux, moving his large hands to Hux’s shoulders. “You are... I would... If it pleases you, you are more than welcome to join us. Me.”

Hux stared at him for the hundredth time that night.

“Kylo..” Hux said, a mixture of emotions falling off of him. Kylo smiled, just a small upwards crook of the corners of his lips, as he understood. He leaned forwards, and Hux's eyes fluttered closed. Mere millimeters from the General's lips, the First Knight gasped in pain, and crumpled to his knees.

_ Kylo Ren. There is a change of plan.  _ Snoke boomed in his mind, so loudly is hurt. Kylo could feel Hux’s frantic hands on him, cupping his cheeks, stroking his hair, as Snoke gave his orders.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i keep saying shits abt to get real but Trust Me This Time
> 
> kylo basically just asked hux to marry him and hux totally said yes jsyk. snokes such a cockblock  
> poor aden has a crush on rey. he's never getting the girl, but he can dream


	16. Jakku

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kylo sets the first phase of his plan into action.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> poe's back!

_ I don’t want to kill you.  _ Kylo hissed, as he stared down Lor San Tekka. The old man blinked. 

_ I cannot give you what you need.  _ The man insisted, and Kylo sighed. 

Lor San Tekka fell. 

In the chaos, Kylo ordered his Knights to facilitate the escape of some villagers. Poe fired on him, and Kylo caught the bolt in mid air, the plasma beam hissing and spitting against his Force. 

Poe was forced to kneel before him, and Kylo crouched. 

_ It’s your friend?  _ Hadrus asked, distracting some stormtroopers from a family by dramatically flipping over them, saber twirling harmlessly. 

“So, who talks first?” Poe joked, and Kylo frowned behind his helmet. 

 

On the ride back to the Finalizer, Kylo had chosen his traitor. FN-2187, the only trooper who hadn’t fired a single shot. Merikh had shared a prior encounter with the trooper, which sealed the deal.

_ Hadrus, Aden, I trust you can extract some vague information without damaging Dameron too much. While I report to Hux, rough him up a bit. He needs to look interrogated.  _

_ Yes sir.  _ The Knights nodded, and began talking to each other. Thana Ren crossed and uncrossed her legs impatiently. 

_ Thana?  _ Kylo sighed, and Thana sat upright. 

_ Can I instruct the traitor? Please? I’ll be gentle. You have places to be, and I- _

_ Give me a play by play of everything that occurs. You have my trust, Thana Ren. Just in case... Gunvor? _

_ Of course.  _ Gunvor nodded, and threw an arm over Thana’s shoulder, while Thana sighed. Merikh snorted, and Thana called him a name in some smuggler language.

_ Is your boyfriend aware of the plan?  _ Valdis asked, and Kylo frowned.

_ He will be. _

“Listen, Dameron,” Hadrus paced back and forth, “just tell us anything.”

Poe spat at the Second Knight’s shoes, and Hadrus sighed.

_ Dameron, we’re trying to help you. Don’t hold this against me. _ Aden groaned, standing from his chair. Poe flinched, and looked at the Knight.

_ What?  _

“Where is the map? Where is Skywalker?” Hadrus demanded, as Aden slapped Poe. Hadrus winced in sympathy, as blood began to run down Poe’s chin.

“Somewhere in the galaxy, I’d think.” Poe sneered, teeth pinkened from his split lip. Aden turned to the Second Knight.

_ FN-2187. No, no, don’t turn around. Don’t move. Just act like nothing’s going on.  _ Thana bit her lip, staring at the stormtrooper. To Kylo, she said,  _ Ok. I got his attention. I’ll give him your orders now. _

_ Very good, Thana. _

_ Okay. FN-2187. Do you have a name? Nevermind that. You’re going to help our prisoner escape, and get the hell out. You’re smart, I’m sure you’ll find a way. _

_ Excuse me?  _ FN-2187 replied, and Thana hummed in surprise, feeling clumsy tendrils of Force poking at her mind.

_ Master, we have a Force sensitive trooper.  _ She announced. 

Kylo Ren sat across from Hux, in a metal meeting room, and blinked. Hux scrolled through his datapad, oblivious. The General’s lips were pursed, and he was concentrating on whatever it was he seemed to be doing.

“Hux.” Kylo said, and Hux looked up, setting the datapad down. A list of the other ships in the First Order’s fleet was on the screen, along with basic details about their crew and commanding officers. Hux’s eyes seemed to light up when he recognized Kylo’s mask.

“Yes?” 

_ Don’t freak out. _

“Shit, what now?” Hux groaned, sinking into his chair. 

Kylo’s mouth quirked up at the corners, and he was glad for his mask. This was a serious matter. Hux crossed his arms.

_ I’m breaking the prisoner out. _

“Kylo!” Hux jumped to his feet, rounding the table to stand before his Knight, “Have you lost it?”

Kylo shrugged, and Hux groaned, running a hand down his face.

_ You need to trust me.  _ Kylo said, and Hux gave him a strange look.

“I trust you, Kylo,” Hux replied, “That’s not what I’m worried about.”

 

Hadrus and Aden left Poe strapped to the chair, and Kylo Ren replaced them.

“Poe Dameron.” Kylo said, the vocoder distorting his voice. He stared at his childhood friend, guilt and shame at war within his chest. Poe didn’t recognize him, and smiled cockily.

“Well, let’s get this over with,” Poe shrugged, as Kylo stepped forwards, lifting his hands to his helmet.

“You will be silent.” Kylo demanded, and removed the helmet.  _ Do not say a word. You will be putting both of us in danger, and I want to help you. _

_ Ben?  _ Poe was at a loss. He stared at his childhood friend, as the man before him set the helmet down on a nearby table.

_ Yes. Call me Kylo Ren.  _ Kylo replied.  _ After I leave, a stormtrooper called FN-2187 will break you out, and you will escape. _

_ Why?  _ Poe squinted at him. Kylo smiled.

_ You’re going to tell my mother what I’m going to do. _

Poe’s mouth fell open, before snapping shut again.

“How do I know this isn’t a trick?” He demanded, and Kylo frowned.

_ Poe.  _ He said,  _ I am going to let you go. I have my intel, it's the droid. I saw what will be in a Force vision. _

_ What?  _ Poe winced as he tried to sit upright, the cuffs on his wrists digging in.

Kylo blinked, and undid them.  _ I am going to kill Snoke. Not for a while, I must bide my time. Starkiller must first be destroyed. That means we need a reason for the Resistance to attack it. If I let you go with that information, Snoke will know, and I will not be able to stop him from destroying whatever targets he wishes. _

Poe stared at him in confusion, rubbing his wrists.

_ What I’m saying is, I’ll let you go, FN-2187 will know how to destroy Starkiller. Aden Ren has foreseen a Force sensitive girl on Jakku. We will capture her, when the time is right, and you will invade Starkiller to retrieve her. While that happens, the Knights of Ren will evacuate Hux’s crew to the Finalizer, and the planet will implode. Before the destruction, I will duel with the girl and let myself fail. Snoke has given me a task which I will not complete. He will call me back for training, and I will slay him. _

_ So, basically,  _ Poe said,  _ you’re going to make shit happen? _

_ You could say that, yes.  _ Kylo nodded, and Poe gave him a wild grin.

“You’re crazy.” The pilot said, almost in awe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter will be pretty choppy bc a lot of canon events happen and im too lazy to rewrite them completely...


	17. Plan in Motion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lead up to the firing of Starkiller and the Battle on Takodana.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the title doesnt make sense but finals have ruined me

Finn couldn’t find Poe.

The only thing that was left in the TIE fighter was the jacket the pilot had worn, and now it lay across Finn’s shoulders. Unfortunately, that meant he got the absolute shit beaten out of him by a skinny girl with a stick, and a BB unit.

The droid was orange and white, and Finn realized what Thana Ren meant, who the girl was, and how incredibly unlucky it was that Poe went down with the TIE fighter.

 

Kylo watched Hux pace on the bridge, as reports of the girl and the trooper came from various techs.

“They’re piloting a Corellian YT light freighter,” one tech announced, and Kylo’s mind went blank.

_ Master?  _ Hadrus asked, from his right side. Kylo shook his head, clearing it, and watched Hux.

_ We need to pretend to want the ship downed.  _ Kylo told him, and Hux turned to Kylo with a strange expression on his face, thinking back,  _don't we?_

_No. That's... the ship must escape._ Kylo insisted, and Hux sighed.

“Shoot it.” Hux said, and the tech relayed the orders to the troopers on-planet.

 

Han Solo stepped onto his ship for the first time in years, Chewbacca on his heels. 

“Chewie,” the smuggler said, “we’re home.”

 

Poe sat in front of Leia Organa with an odd look on his face, as he tried to figure out how to tell the General what Ben had told him.

“General.” Poe said, after a long moment of silence. Leia regarded him, quiet.

“Your son,” Poe continued, Leia’s eyes widening slightly at his words, “He’s aboard the Finalizer.”

“A prisoner?” Leia demanded, leaning forwards, and Poe shook his head, nervous.

“No. He goes by the name Kylo Ren these days.” He answered, and Leia sat back, staring at the ceiling.

“Poe,” she said after a minute, “what happened on the Finalizer? Where is BB-8?”

“Ben let me go. He sent me with a trooper, Finn, and we escaped to Jakku, where I lost track of Finn.”

“I see.” Leia squinted at him, and he felt her brush gently against his mind, much in the same way Kylo had, asking permission before rooting around within his thoughts.

She sorted through the encounter with the Master of the Knights of Ren, and gasped as she saw the adult face of her son for the first time, through Poe’s eyes. She watched the memory play through, memorizing the Knight’s words, and sat back in her chair, folding her hands.

“There is much to do,” she said, nodding to herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im dead inside but hey! rey next chapter


	18. A Little Drop of Sun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kylo Ren finally meets Rey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my baby rey, my space wife

“Fire!” Hux commanded, and red beams of destruction flew from the maw of Starkiller. Snoke’s target was the Hosnian system, the center of the Republic, and if it were destroyed, it would plunge the civilized universe into chaos. Kylo Ren would not allow this. Hux himself would not allow this. At the beginning of the construction of Starkiller, he wouldn’t of thought twice about firing on Hosnian. 

What Hux really wanted was for the galaxy to no longer be at war. Peace, he knew, was unattainable. The best anyone could hope for was small skirmishes between groups on planets, not galaxy-wide battles. Snoke’s offer to him, as well as the other generals, was just that.

Something in Hux’s mind had gone dormant, and Kylo’s stiff refusal to allow Hosnian to be destroyed woke it up. Before the launch, Hux ordered his most trusted techs to change the targets to several uninhabited moons and asteroids nearby the Hosnian system. 

Snoke was pissed. Kylo almost thought that he would have to attack the creature right then, with the way he was going on and on about failure. He didn’t suspect a thing of Kylo’s little plan, however.

Kylo grimaced as he watched Maz Kanata’s castle become a pile of screaming rubble. His ship set down on the banks, and the Knights of Ren departed.

_ Find the girl.  _ Kylo ordered, and his Knights nodded, synchronized. They fanned out, searching, lightsabers drawn.

Kylo ventured within the castle, and was stopped short by Maz.

“Ben.” The ancient woman said, and he crouched before her, deactivating his saber.

“I’m sorry.” He replied, and Maz hummed, tapping his mask.

“Off.”

Kylo removed the helmet, and sat back on his heels. 

“Oh, Ben,” Maz sighed, and patted his cheek, “you look like your father.”

Kylo stiffened slightly under Maz’s touch, and looked away, “I have something I need to do.”

Maz took a step back, and Kylo stood, replacing the helmet. As Kylo left her, he could feel her eyes boring into his soul.

Rey was alone in the woods. No Han, no Chewbacca, no Finn. The buzz of a lightsaber startled her, and she spun on her heel, firing wildly at the cloaked figure in black before her.

“Oh, fuck, don’t shoot!” Thana yelped after deflecting the shots, deactivating her lightsaber, and putting her hands up.

“Who are you?” Rey demanded, blaster raised, trying to appear unafraid. Thana shrugged, reaching out desperately for Hadrus or Kylo.

“Depends on who you ask.” She replied, and Rey’s arms twitched, “Shit, don’t shoot! I’m Thana Ren.”

“A Knight of Ren?” Rey gasped, and took several steps backwards.

Thana panicked, cursed, and froze her in place.

“I’m so sorry, by the way, for this, but you need to not move until my Master gets here. He’ll explain everything. Did you know you’re Force sensitive by the way? I didn’t either, until Kylo, he’s my Master, showed up and Ma- Hadrus told me I was gonna be a space Knight.” Thana rambled, walking up to Rey, and removing the blaster from her hands.

Rey stared at her out of the corner of her wide eyes, twitching against Thana’s Force hold. Thana struggled to keep the hold strong. She wasn’t very talented at this sort of thing. Force shields and holds were more Aden’s type of thing.

“Oh, Hadrus!” Thana shouted, waving to her lover, who had appeared out of the treeline. He touched her mind in greeting, and motioned for Thana to free Rey. She did so, and Rey adopted a defensive stance, eyeing the two Knights warily.

“What’s your name?” Hadrus asked, conversationally, clipping his saber to his belt, and Rey bit her lip.

“You don’t have to tell us.” Hadrus continued, “It’s not really any of our business. I’m Hadrus Ren.”

“I’m Rey.” Rey said, unnerved by the faceless masks the two wore.

“Kylo Ren, a friend of... Poe Dameron? He’s going to... well... I’ll let him explain.” Hadrus took note of Rey’s surprised expression at Poe’s name.

“Maro,” Thana caught Hadrus’s attention with his personal name, “Rey’s Force sensitive.”

“Oh?” Hadrus reached out to the girl with his mind, unsurprised to find that Thana was correct.

“What’s that mean, exactly?” Rey demanded, and Hadrus shrugged.

“You’re sensitive to the Force.” Thana said, plainly. It was then that Kylo Ren appeared.

 

_Oh, you’re_ _Rey._ Kylo reached out to her without a second thought. This was the girl from Aden’s vision. 

“Excuse me?” Rey squeaked, indignant, and Kylo’s lips twitched up at the edges. 

_ I’m afraid I need to capture you. Don’t worry, Finn will come for you.  _ Kylo explained, and Rey made as if to run away.  _ Don’t bother. You won’t make it a step. _

“You really expect me to just go without a fight?” Rey spat, and Kylo nodded.

“It’ll work out for everyone involved, Rey.” Kylo said, and Rey made a sort of pouty face. Kylo breathed in sharply. He recognized her.

“Rey.” He said, and fell to his knees. Hadrus glanced at Thana, who was staring hard at Kylo through her helmet. Rey stood, confused.

Rey was just a child, hardly old enough to sit through morning meditation without getting distracted. She was tiny, wiry, and her short hair, usually kept in three messy ponytails, always seemed to come loose by the end of the day. 

Grisanne was not the only padawan to survive. Kylo Ren had found Rey, cowering under the body of an older padawan, too young to understand exactly what was happening, but old enough to recognize that the heavy body on top of her wasn’t playing pretend.

He stared at the youngling, unstable blood red saber raised, and Rey held out her tiny hands, screaming at Kylo to go away. He closed his eyes, and ran. 

 

“I’m sorry.” Kylo said, and removed his helmet. Rey’s eyes narrowed at him, not recognizing the face before her. Thana gasped as she understood, and Hadrus alerted the other Knights that they should prepare the ship.

“Do you know me?” She demanded, and Kylo nodded.

“You were about five.” Kylo began, and Rey stared at him. The Force around them buzzed with energy.

“You were the only one left in the temple.” Kylo prompted, and watched Rey’s confusion morph into dread.

“What happened?” She asked, biting on the words like she was trying to keep them from escaping. Thana stepped forwards.

“We’ll have plenty of time on the way back to the Finalizer. Master, the ship is ready. I will alert... Finn... to our progress.” She said, and Kylo nodded, replacing his helmet as he stood.

“Very well.” He said, and turned, motioning for the three to follow him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> boom!  
> i removed some tags bc i decided to separate this into a two part series. the finn/rey & luke skywalker nonsense will appear in part two. i have all of part 1 complete, so im starting work on part two.


	19. Reunions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapters the last of part 1!!! i actually wrote the last chapter first bc i had a plot bunny and it... grew

“You killed them all?” Rey demanded, horrified, and Kylo’s heart ached.

“I did.” He said. He had done it, there was no use making excuses. Rey backed herself into a corner, and slid to the floor.

“You... mentioned there was another. Who survived.” Rey said, shakily.

“Grisanne Stormbreaker. She was off-world.”

Rey felt like she was going to be sick. Her whole life, she’d wondered about the family who left her on Jakku, and from the story Kylo told her, they were almost all dead and gone.

“Not gone,” Kylo said suddenly, as if he’d heard her thoughts. He smiled grimly.

“You’re projecting.” He explained, and Rey looked away. Kylo continued his earlier thought, “They’re not gone. They’re one with the Force.”

Kylo stared at the man across the bridge, who’d yelled his old name.

Han Solo, smuggler, former General, and his father. Kylo remembered Snoke’s orders. His Knight’s chattering was put on the backburner, and Kylo regarded his father wearily.

“Han Solo.” Kylo said, and a sudden vision overtook him. It was too fast to pick out distinct information, but Kylo had run Han through, his father falling into the seemingly endless void below. He was wrenched back to the present by Rey and Finn’s sudden presence above.

“Dad,” Kylo said, catching his father’s attention. Han took a few steps forwards, cautious, and Kylo became aware of the bowcaster trained on him. He deactivated the bloody saber, and clipped it to his belt.

Han watched, wary but hopeful, as his son approached unarmed.

“You need to destroy Starkiller.” Kylo said urgently, and then removed his helmet. Han stopped breathing for a moment, staring at his son’s features, imprinting his adult face in his brain.

“That was the plan, kid,” Han said, and Kylo looked away.

“Rey must duel me before the planet is destroyed.” Kylo dropped his helmet on the catwalk with a heavy metallic thud, and fought the urge to kick it into the abyss below.

“Why?” Han asked and Kylo sighed.

“I can’t show up to Snoke uninjured, otherwise he’ll know I wasn’t actually defeated.” Kylo explained, and Han frowned.

“Why do you even need to go back? You can come home with us, Ben.” Han protested, and Kylo shook his head.

“I cannot. I have a job that must be done, dad.”

 

Rey, in her anger at his past deeds, had certainly done a number on him. She’d not held back, fighting as if she were actually trying to kill him. She left him on the snow, bloody and exhausted, a cut on his face narrowly missing his eyes. This was how the Knights found him. Thana and Merikh anguished over Kylo’s orders to not heal him, as he was brought aboard the Finalizer.

Snoke had already contacted Hux, demanding the First Knight be brought to Snoke’s fortress. The General himself went planetside, accompanied by Kylo’s most proficient tracker and healer, Gunvor Ren and Thana Ren. 

Gunvor locked on to her Master’s familiar Force signature, and they followed her to a bloody lump in the snow. Thana gasped, and ran forwards, tripping over herself as she made her way to her injured master.

“Master!?” She said frantically, immediately channelling the Force into his more bloody wounds, as Hux tromped after her.

“Is he alright?” Hux demanded, and Kylo wheezed, his eyes crinkling.

“Kriff, Master,” Gunvor whistled, the least concerned of everyone. She knew Kylo could survive worse, and he sighed in amusement at her broadcasted thoughts.

“I’ll live.” Kylo announced, as Thana and Gunvor levitated him into an upright position. Hux hoisted one of Kylo’s arms over his shoulders, and they walked back to Hux’s ship to pay a visit to the Supreme Leader’s fortress, where Kylo would have to face Snoke without any of his Knights to shield him

On the shuttle, Kylo gave his Knights very clear instructions. They were to go about their business as normal. Kylo swore to alert them if things went South.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> rey totally beat the shit outta kylo. he was like "go for it do ur worst" and she did. he lived, but she beat the snot out of him.


	20. The Dark Lord on his Dark Throne

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kylo and his Knights confront Snoke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> part one is over... once i have a few chapters of part two written ill start posting!

_He knows._

The words ran down Merikh’s back like lightning. Without thinking, he sprung into action, saber drawn and activated, and sprinted down the winding corridors of Snoke’s fortress. He felt similar panic from the other Knights, Aden being the first he ran into. Gunvor was the next, followed by an anxious and enraged Hux.

“What’s happening?” He demanded, annoyed at being ignored, and worried that all of the Knights were racing towards the throne room.

They reached the closed doors. Kylo Ren’s screams echoed through the hall, despite the soundproofing. Hux opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Hadrus Ren, the Second Knight, opened the doors, and Snoke’s pitch Force rushed out like a tidal wave.

Kylo Ren, the First and Master of the Knights of Ren, was suspended 10 feet off the ground, clutching at his neck, blood red saber discarded and spitting sparks on the ground yards away. Snoke, smaller than he appeared over the holo, but still much taller than anything the Knights had been expecting, stood in front of his throne, one arm raised, the other clutching his own saber, so dark that it almost seemed like a black hole. The Supreme Leader laughed, baying like a hound, as the Knights stared in horror at their Master.

Hadrus was the first to led out a thundering roar, raising his saber and charging at Snoke. Kylo Ren was released from Snoke’s Force, and crumpled to the floor with a heavy thud, unconscious. Hadrus’s gentle Force signature transformed rapidly, the soft edges sharpening, carving away at Snoke’s own heavy aura, and the Knights sprung into action.

Gunvor and Valdis followed Hadrus’s lead, their own Forces spilling out of them with a vengeance, racing to Snoke. Merikh, always less talented at expanding his presence, settled for hurling his saber towards Snoke, while the massive being was preoccupied by the three Knights charging him.

Thana scrambled towards the lumpy form of her Master, desperately searching his mind to remove whatever spell Snoke had cast over him, while Aden rushed to construct simple Force shields around his brethren.

_Master! Master!_ Thana shouted, panicked, crying out in fear as Hadrus was thrown back, hitting the wall of the throne room with a heavy crack. The Knight stood, rage and pain powering him, and he charged again. Kylo remained unresponsive.

“Is he dead?” Hux yelled, hysterically, and Thana turned to him, her impassive mask hiding her tears of confusion.

“No!” She shouted, and turned back to her Master.

As she reached out to him with her hands, he was strung back up into the air like a puppet, head lolling on his broad shoulders.

“You think you can defeat me?” Snoke roared, freezing Hadrus, Gunvor, Merikh, and Valdis in place. Aden increased the strength of the shields on them, his eyes locked on the limp body of Kylo Ren.

Seething with rage, Valdis was the first to break free with a scream, her yellow saber coming within inches of Snoke, before being deflected by the Supreme leader’s lightsaber.

Thana gasped as she unlocked the cage Snoke had placed around Kylo’s mind, and the Master of the Knights of Ren awoke. Snoke dropped him as he lost control, fighting off four very angry Knights.

Kylo Ren stood slowly, wrath pouring off of him and into the air, clouding it with his rage. He spoke.

“Snoke.” Kylo said simply, watching as Gunvor just barely made contact.

“Is this how you repay me, Solo?” Snoke thundered, twirling his lightsaber as he blocked the Knight’s strikes, “For all I’ve done? The power I’ve given you?” Pulses of Darkness radiated off of him, the four Knights attacking stumbled, pushed back. Just outside the doors, Hux fell to his knees with a gasp.

Kylo remained in place, absolute and impenetrable. He growled, pure fury dripping from him. He took a step forwards.

“You have done nothing for me, Snoke.”

Snoke’s Force attacks bounced off of Kylo like water off a duck’s back. The blood red saber lay on the ground, arcing and buzzing with power, and Kylo Ren removed his true saber from where it lay hidden behind his back. A golden blade sparked to life, and Snoke’s eyes narrowed.

The possibility that Kylo was simply buffing was obliterated as he moved forwards, and Kylo’s immense Force signature filled every nook and cranny of the room, surrounding his knights like a cocoon.

 

The real fight then began. No one could tell who attacked first, one moment, Kylo stood before the Supreme Leader, the next, they were a blur of Force and lightsaber blades. Gold and nearly black streaks of light flashed erratically, and the Knights restlessly watched. They were powerless in this duel between former Master and Apprentice.

All of a sudden, one of Snoke’s swipes hit home. Hux, watching in horror, gave a little shout that seemed to rip its way out of his throat. Kylo’s lightsaber hand, along with the lightsaber itself, were gone, and barely a gasp of pain escaped Kylo’s lips before he was forced back, Snoke’s lightsaber held level to his chest.

“Arrogance,” Snoke said, a triumphant sneer showing his hideous teeth, “pride,” a step forwards, Kylo stumbling back, smoking arm clasped to his chest, “the Light. I’m disappointed in you, _Solo_.”

The creature drew his arm back, and slashed downwards. Hux cried out, Thana screamed, and Aden squeezed his eyes shut, as Hadrus, Valdis, Merikh, and Gunvor moved as if to run forwards.

Snoke’s lightsaber stopped short, Kylo Ren’s own golden saber stabbed clean through his back. The First Knight’s dismembered hand clenched the saber, held up by the Force, and sliced upwards.

The Supreme Leader Snoke, ancient, near omnipotent, and corrupted by greed for power, fell, hacked nearly in two by the golden blade. Kylo’s lightsaber twinkled out, and his Force grip on his hand and saber disappeared, both falling to the stone floor. Snoke’s presence immediately left the room, and a vacuum seemed to form

_Master!_ The six Knights shouted in unison, and Kylo stood, back facing them. He extended his arm before him, examining the charred stump where his hand used to be. A ragged chuckle left the First Knight’s lips.

“Kylo?” Hux asked, nervously, unsure, and the Knights startled. They’d forgotten he was there, with how quiet he was. The Master of the Knights of Ren turned.

“It is done.” He said, simply, and then fainted. He dropped like a sack of bricks onto the cold floor, before anyone could reach out to catch him, and the throne room began to collapse.

 

**Author's Note:**

> idk how often ill update. i already have quite a bit written but i have a lot planned that hasnt been finished. i might upload several chapters in one go.


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